A Dragons' Calling
by TardisDragon211B
Summary: No man can choose his destiny, and no man can choose their family. But perhaps that is not always a bad thing. See what happens when three people share a home, a past and perhaps a fate. Lots of adorable bromance!
1. Pilot

**A/N: A friend gave me this idea and they don't even know they did. Thank you PrincessPo for suggesting that these actors would make great roommates.**

**Instead of using the actors this will be the characters, but the difference is this will not follow the plot of the show and it takes place in modern times. **

**This will be one of the few times I will speak to you guys; the rest will be the story. I promise. Feel free to comment if you like weather it is good or bad. **

**I will do my best to update this once a week if not more.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or the show Merlin. **

**Thanks for reading and Enjoy :)**

Chapter 1: Pilot

A young man walked down the abandoned morning London street. No one was around as it was 5am. Not the usual time for shopping or working, but he didn't mind. He was always up early. To be honest he barely slept at all.

He smiled as he remembered the events of the past days…

"Mordred!" a yell woke the 21-year-old up from the trance he had been in. He knew that yell. It was Arthur.

"Wha?" was Mordred's response as his eyes moved off the newspaper ads.

"What did you do?!" Arthur asked as he entered the small kitchen completely.

_Oh crap!_ Mordred thought. _He knows._

Mordred's eyes darted around the room for a means of escape, but the larger man was blocking the only exit of the flat's kitchen. His eyes landed back on the bulkier, taller man who even in a suit looked intimidating with a scowl edged on his face. He could see the anger in the light blue eyes.

_Yep. He knows._ Mordred frowned solemnly. _But how?_

He looked past the blonde's head and spotted the black mop of Merlin's hair.

_Of course. _Mordred rolled his eyes.

"Arthur! What did I just say?" Merlin roared as he stepped in between Arthur and the sitting Mordred. Arthur looked to protest but Merlin's fast mouth beat him to it.

"Didn't I just tell you 'don't say anything or get mad'?" Merlin's eyes were like daggers digging into Arthur's skull.

"It's the second job he's lost this month!" Arthur retaliated.

"But it wasn't my fault this time!" Mordred shouted in defense.

"It doesn't matter whose fault it was this time! The last one was your fault, and the time before that, and the time before that!" Arthur ranted. Mordred looked down at the table, both out of anger and shame.

"Arthur!" Merlin yelled then took a deep breath. Arthur looked down at the floor and crossed his arms.

"It was not his fault this time," Merlin said calmly. "The Drug Store's daughter-"

"I don't want to hear it, Merlin! If he would just listen to me he wouldn't need to be unemployed constantly!" Arthur interrupted. Mordred was starting to grow tired of this bickering. It was a typical Monday afternoon. Arthur yelling at him once again, and Merlin defending his actions weather they be good or bad.

Mordred stood up and walked towards the exit, pushing Arthur out of his way in the process. He opened the front door of the flat and walked into the spring air.

Arthur's look of disbelief traveled from the front door which had just slammed shut to the angry scowl Merlin wore.

"Nice Arthur. Real nice," Merlin stated walking towards his room, leaving Arthur in his shocked daze.

Mordred huffed as he walked along the broken side walk of the lower part of London. His eyes were focused on the ground as he walked.

"Stupid Arthur," he muttered under his breath. "Stupid Merlin. Why does he always have to tell Arthur? Stupid job. Stupid girl. Stupid Mr. Fran. I hate this." He brewed to himself like an angst ridden teen as he kicked a stone on the pathway. The stone flew until it hit a nearby flower pot, cracking it loudly.

"Crap!" Mordred cringed as he quickened his pace, hoping no one had noticed.

He sighed sadly when he rounded the corner, leaning against the brick wall of an old shop. He crossed his arms as he rested his head on the cool bricks. He was tired. Always tired. Ever since that day he had been tired.

Tired from a lack of sleep. Tired of the pain. Tired of the sadness. The heartbreak. With every job he lost, every step he missed, he would feel that pain. The undesirable reminder that he had failed yet again. Life wasn't always this hard. He remembered when living was a happier time.

But that time was long gone.

He stood there for awhile; just contemplating all of the unexpected turns in which his life had taken within the past six years. He had lost so much. He looked up at the sky. It was growing darker.

He decided it was best that he went home. The pilfers and gangs came out around this part when night drew in. Just as he was about to turn around though his face met an extended arm.

He followed the wrist until he saw the face of the owner. It was a long- haired man who looked to be in his late twenties, early thirties. He had a crocked nose and blood- shot eyes. His breath reeked of alcohol. Mordred gulped noticeably as he backed up slowly. His path was blocked by a wall: a human wall.

Mordred slowly craned his neck to peer into the face of the huge thug. He gulped once more and looked towards the street. But another, smaller, and slightly older than him, man blocked that exit.

He whirled around so his back was towards the brick walls, and he was facing all three of his attackers head on. He tried to make his face as confident as he could force it to look, but was failing miserably. He raised his fists and arms to a defensive position over his chest.

All three assailants laughed at his display.

"Looks like we have a fighter," the man he backed into chuckled.

"Let's see how great of a fighter he really is," the smaller man said with a twisted smirk. Mordred looked between the three as they spoke.

"Please I don't have any money!" Mordred shouted as all three took a step closer.

"Do you 'ear that?" the one who had stopped him exclaimed with a feigned look of surprise. "He don't got no moneys! Well I jus' have to trust h'm! Be on 'r way now!"

The man laughed with the rest of his friends.

"Stop!" Mordred insisted. He raised his fists higher, ready to fight his way out if he had to. The second thug raised his fist as it came crashing down on Mordred's shoulder. He gasped in pain as the force of the blow to his shoulder shot through his neck. He lowered down, covering his head with his hands, so he was sitting on the dirty sidewalk. The other men began to raise their fists. He got two more blows handed to him, one to the stomach and one to the jaw, and a few good kicks before the group stopped in mid-swing.

Mordred opened his eyes to look up at the three, wondering why the blows had stopped. He followed their gaze to the left. He sighed in relief.

"Put your fists down now," the voice did not yell. Instead it growled like a mad dog. And that is what Arthur looked like, a mad dog.

"And why should we," the shorter man sneered, but Mordred could tell he was fighting the urge to run away. The other two lowered their fists. It was then that Mordred realized the bigger of the two was gripping his right arm fairly tight.

"I would listen," another voice standing next to Arthur chimed in. His was deeper, and his voice less threatening, but the look in his sapphire eyes made even Mordred, who wasn't even on its receiving end, cringe.

"You let him go right now or you'll wake up thinking a car landed on your chest," Arthur snarled. The smaller man's eyes widened and the larger man loosened his grip on Mordred's arm, but he was still pinned down by the hand.

"You want him come and get him," the second largest man intervened with a smile as he raised his fist. Mordred closed his eyes awaiting the hit to his face, but it never came.

He looked up to see the pained expression of the man just as Arthur had punched him in the lower back. The smaller one rushed towards Arthur, but Merlin was able to trip him, causing his stomach to collide with Merlin's fist. The largest man lost his grip on Mordred completely, far too busy raising his hands to block on onslaught of blows from Arthur. The defense was failing as punch after punch hit him in the stomach.

Mordred scooted away from the fight. Merlin was next to him in an instant. Mordred let out a hiss of pain when Merlin helped him up by grasping his shoulder. The mixture of guilt, anger and worry on the older man's face made Mordred feel all the more guilty for being mad at him and Arthur a few minutes earlier.

"Come on," Merlin said softly. Mordred stumbled when Merlin removed his hand. One of them must have kicked his leg hard when he was being bumbled because the surge of pain emerging from his shin almost made him knock Merlin over. Arthur was there in a second, catching Mordred's flailing arms, the man he had been fighting nowhere in sight having run off.

The two shared a look. Guilt ran supreme in both of their blue eyes. Arthur quickly looked down and allowed Merlin to steady Mordred by placing his arm around the taller man's shoulder. Arthur did the same with the other arm, and the three were able to walk back to their flat, Mordred limping all the way.

When back inside, Merlin helped Mordred into a sitting position on the couch with his feet on the coffee table. He leaned his head back over the couch's back rim and let out a breath of relief. Merlin sat next to him and began to check over the injures he had sustained. Arthur stood in the doorway, arms crossed and looking at the pair with a worried intensity.

Merlin, however, had a face of concentration as he pulled off Mordred's shirt and examined the bloody bruises. Though Mordred could see, that under his mask, Merlin was in fact just as worried, if not more, as Arthur. He always was very protective.

"Not too bad," Merlin stated the seriousness of his face hidden with a reassuring smile. Relief filled his eyes as he walked into the kitchen to get the first aid kit. Arthur took this time to glance at the injured man, who smiled half- heartedly in return.

Arthur swallowed a hard lump in his throat. He opened his mouth as if he were going to speak but then shut it and looked away. He glimpsed over. The guilt covered his face like a blanket. He opened his mouth once more but Mordred stopped him.

"Thanks," he said with the same small smile. Arthur's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"What?" Arthur asked tilting his head.

"Thanks for saving my butt out there," Mordred stated in genuine gratefulness. Arthur swallowed once more. His mouth felt dry.

"I… you wouldn't have needed saving if I hadn't overreacted," Arthur said just above a whisper. His eyes went to the hard wood floor. Mordred's went towards the window and its white curtains.

"I'm sorry," Mordred said in the same, barely audible tone. Arthur sighed and walked over to sit next to him on the couch. He leaned forward and clasped his hands between his outstretched knees.

"Look," he began and Mordred looked at the side of his face. Arthur kept staring at his hands. "I know I push you. I know I get mad easily and overreact, but it's because I want what is best for you. I know you won't accept the money I offered for college, and for the life of me I can't figure out why. But I see you have your reasons. Maybe you don't want me to have it over you. Maybe you think you have to do this on your own, but know that I will try to be supportive of your decision, whatever it may be. I can't promise I will always like it, but I will always be here for you."

Arthur looked up at him when saying those last words with a look of pure sincerity. Mordred smiled and Arthur returned it. Merlin walked in just in time to see Arthur get up.

"Did you apologize?" Merlin asked half-jokingly, half-seriously as he passed Arthur. Arthur glared in return then nodded with a small smile and walked over to sit in the dark red recliner next to the couch.

The 26-year-old smiled and sat down next to Mordred opening the kit as he did. He looked into Mordred's eyes and spoke with two different looks.

Merlin's saying,_ Sorry I told Arthur._

And Mordred's, _Sorry I stormed off._

With their silent apologies exchanged, the two smiled as Merlin cleaned the wounds.

"Thanks," Mordred said as he put his shirt back on when the wounds were dressed.

"What are big brothers for," Merlin replied with a goofy grin. Suddenly Arthur was behind Merlin in a second and had him in a head lock.

"I don't know Merlin? What are they for?" Arthur asked as he rubbed the squirming man's head.

"Irritating the living heck out of me," Merlin grumbled when he was finally able to escape the blonde's grasp. Arthur moved to sit in between his younger brothers.

Mordred chuckled at his elder siblings' antics. Both of whom turned to look at him. Arthur and Merlin shared a look right before Arthur used both of his arms to put both Merlin and Mordred into bear strong headlocks.

"Arthur!" they both yelled in retaliation, but the 28-year-old only laughed in return.

…Mordred smiled as he turned the corner, landing him on the street of his destination. Arthur and Merlin had helped him the next day to find a job. Arthur's old high school friend owned an ice cream parlor and was looking for a register manager.

Mordred opened the glass door and a bell rang throughout the small shop. A man appeared from behind the counter. His dark skin was contrasted by a white shirt and a light red tie.

"Ah, Mordred Dragon! Ready to start working?" the owner, Eylan Smith, greeted warmly. Mordred smiled largely as he approached the counter, limping slightly from being beaten a few days back.

"I'm ready to begin," he beamed.


	2. The Life of a Worker

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin. **

Chapter 2: The Life of a Worker

Arthur Dragon never liked getting up early. Never a morning person, that man. In fact when he was smaller, he would wear ear plugs for the sole purpose of saying he didn't hear the alarm to a teacher. That way he wouldn't be lying. That was the one thing Arthur hated the most: lying. He'd rather steal than lie to someone. In his mind the latter was a greater offense.

To steal is to take someone's belongings, stuff that can easily be replaced, but to lie would be disgracing someone's integrity and lose something of the greatest importance: their trust. The trust between two people could never be replaced.

That is why the young Dragon would wear ear plugs to bed, so he wouldn't loose his teacher's trust when he said he didn't hear the alarm.

He lost the ear plugs, but Arthur still hated getting up early for work. Still he had to get up. He had to go to work because the rent had to be paid. That is why he hit the snooze button at six a.m., rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, and hopped into the shower.

When Arthur's black suit was on and his red tie pinned with his father's diamond clip, he walked into the kitchen to grab his usual morning coffee. Sitting at the kitchen table, sipping from his own mug, Merlin wore similar brown attire.

"Morning," Merlin smiled looking up from the morning paper.

"Hey," Arthur said without looking at the younger man. His mind was never ready until he had his coffee.

Merlin returned to reading the article one of his colleagues wrote the day before. Merlin was enjoying the first page headliner when Arthur sat across from him, sipping from his steaming travel mug.

"Mordred left, right?" Arthur asked after taking a gulp of the hot, brown liquid.

"Yes, Arthur," Merlin said with a roll of his eyes, but continued reading.

"I'm just making sure," Arthur grumbled. He turned his head to see the back of the newspaper and raised his eyebrow. "'Old Woman Devotes Life to Serving the Common Girl'. Really?"

"What?" Merlin asked flipping to the back page. "I worked hard on that piece."

"Come on Merlin. Little old lady pieces? You're better than this," Arthur exclaimed. Merlin only rolled his eyes and returned to reading the other page. "You know you deserve to be writing front page things. Those reporters are barely half as good as you."

"I don't want to discuss this now," Merlin replied bluntly without looking at his elder brother.

"You never want to discuss this," Arthur mumbled taking another sip. An awkward silence fell over the two as they drank their coffee.

Merlin hated silence.

"I best be off," Arthur said grabbing his coat as he walked out the front door, Merlin not even lifting his eyes from the paper.

Arthur walked into 'Fay's Council' with a smile on and mug in hand. See, Arthur hated getting up early for work, but that didn't mean he hated his job. He loved being a lawyer. He felt like he was helping those unjustly accused and therefore he was protecting the innocent. That is why he beamed as he walked through the hallways of the five story building of the firm. His office was on the fourth floor, where the experienced and lead lawyers were, the ones who rarely lost a case.

"Morning Mr. Dragon," Gwen said from her station. Arthur looked down and smiled in his personal secretary's direction.

"Morning Miss Knight," Arthur replied. He then slipped into his office and closed the door.

The morning went slow. He had two private conferences with clients, one, a woman fighting for custody over her children, and the other a man being sued by his ex-husband for property damage, all in all typical cases.

He had just finished discussing a plan of approach and shaking the man's hand when Gwen knocked on his door.

"Yes?" Arthur asked her as she walked in the room.

"Ms. Fay has requested a conference with you," Gwen answered while biting her lip.

Arthur's happy mood suddenly vanished. He liked his job, but he certainly was not fond of his boss. No one in the office seemed to.

"Yes. Well, I will meet with her in a few moments." Gwen nodded and closed the door as she returned to her station. He let out a sigh and turned back smiling to the client before him. "Well, Mr. Peterson, it seems that we have this case beat. I will see you on the court date."

With that the man nodded and walked out of the office. Arthur let the smile façade fall as he prepared himself for a meeting with Ms. Fay. There was little he could do in order to plan for that woman. He sighed and looked at the picture on the corner of his desk.

It was of Merlin, Mordred, and him when they were younger, Mordred couldn't have been more than 16. The dark brown frame accentuated the small gray and white photo. He remembered that day perfectly. It was the day Merlin and him decided to take Mordred out to do something fun. They went about the city and somehow ended in a photo booth in Cardiff. He smiled at the goofy faces Merlin and him were making and the laughing face of Mordred in between them. It was the first time all three had any real fun since the accident. The door opened and his eyes quickly flickered away from the picture.

_Oh great._ He thought sarcastically to himself.

Standing in the doorway was Morgana Fay, the firm's superior and his boss. She wore a black skirt that barely covered her upper thigh. On top she wore a similarly colored, button down blouse that seemed to be missing a few of the top buttons, exposing a good portion of her upper torso. Her straight black hair slid down and ended at her lower back. Yet, it wasn't her dark red stilettos that frightened him. It was the hunger in those grass green eyes.

"Hello Arthur," she chirped as she closed the door behind her. He saw a glimpse of Gwen peaking around the corner before the entrance was closed off.

"Good day Ms. Fay," he said focusing on a report on his desk. "How may I help you?"

He jolted back when he looked up, not expecting her to be so close to his desk already. A smirk twisted on her face as she reached as far as she could without going behind the desk.

"Oh, I just have a special case for you," she beamed as she stared him down. He visibly gulped as he noticed her tongue lick her top lip then quickly disappear.

"What's it about?" he asked in a steady voice.

"Just a case of homicide," she said lightly, her smile never breaking even when she said the word homicide.

"I see," Arthur answered quizzically, looking back at the report he had reread nearly a dozen times over by this point. "Where's the file."

"Right here," she cooed and produced the manila folder she had been hiding behind her back. She then set it on the desk, keeping her hands on it for a few extra seconds then withdrew to the door. As she opened it she looked back at him and spoke.

"The client meeting is Thursday, so be prepared."

"I will be," he said with narrowed eyes looking up at her.

"I know you'll be," she smirked and walked out, leaving the door open a few inches.

Through the crack he could see Gwen looking into the room with a mixture of concern, inquiry, and disbelief on her face. She was questioning what was happening behind that door, behind his facade. He smiled at her mocha face, but her eyebrows remained in their furrowed position.

"If you wouldn't mind, could you close the door please?" he asked very politely. She quickly shook her head out of her stupor and forced a small smile on her face. She rose from her chair, showing the violet blouse and beige dress pants she wore under the desk, and closed the door.

As soon as he heard the click he slouched in his chair and breathed out. This job was difficult with a woman such as Morgana Fay on your every move. He turned his gaze on the photo once more. That was also the year before he accepted a job at Fay's Council, before he met Morgana. Sometimes he wondered if she only hired him because he was her 'secret goal'. He shook his head at the term Merlin had used when describing the situation with his boss.

_I wonder how Mordred's work is going._ Arthur thought to himself. _Can't be too hard at an ice cream shop. I just hope he doesn't screw this one up._

He picked the picture up and looked at his youngest brother's face. He looked genuinely happy. One of the few times he wasn't just putting up a front. He had been sad ever since the accident and even more it seemed when he found out the money for university could only come from Arthur and Merlin's combined efforts. God how Arthur wished Mordred would take their money. Sure it would be harder, he'd have to put in more hours, but at least his little brother would finally get the education he deserved.

The door opened once again without anyone knocking.

_Jeez, what's the point of a door?_

Arthur was about to scowl at the person who walked in, but stopped when he saw who it was.

"Hey Leon," Arthur greeted, setting the photo down.

"Hi," Leon replied with a smile across his face. He wore what Arthur did, similar except his blonde hair was a dirtier shade and curly. "Gwen told me you had a visitor today?"

"Did she now," Arthur looked around his friend, sending Gwen a questioning look, but her head was turn, suddenly unable to see his face.

"Hey don't you be looking at her like that. You know word travels fast around this place," Leon defended her with a smile. "So what did the she-witch want anyway?"

Arthur laughed at Leon's protectiveness then scowled at the mention of Morgana.

"Some 'special homicide case' she wanted to put me on. I think she just wanted an excuse to see me," Arthur answered in disgust. It wasn't that Morgana was unattractive, far from it, but he just didn't feel that way about her. Plus he saw the way she could manipulate people. It was scary to say the least, and it wasn't attractive in the slightest bit.

"No duh," Leon said with a roll of his eyes. He refocused on Arthur and grinned. "Well at least you'll get some extra money, right?"

Arthur glanced at the photo then back at Leon.

"Right," Arthur said straight-faced.

"Come on, let's go on lunch," Leon said. "I'm due in court at two."

"Yeah," Arthur grinned, glad the subject changed. Leon turned towards the door and opened it. He turned around to see Arthur just getting up. Arthur walked over to the door. Leon started walking down the hallway, but Arthur stopped in the doorway.

He turned around and looked back at the back of the photo frame on the desk. His gaze traveled to the window behind the desk, showing him a view of the city in the noon setting. A small smile rose onto the surface of his face.

"It pays the rent," he chuckled to himself, then turned down the hall towards the retreating figure of Leon.


	3. A Brother's Promise

Chapter 3: A Brother's Promise

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.**

Thunder rumbled, causing the mid-sized townhouse to creak in retaliation. The rain tapped along the driveway, traveled over the front sod of the old woman's house, and smacked at the glass shielding the upper room where three children slept; well two slept.

Merlin stared out the window from the confides of his bed, the sheets curled around his limps in a tight ball as he cringed with every strike that hit the ground.

He hated rain storms. It washed away the flowers his mother's flowers. It made his clumsy feet fumble on the slick walkway. It made it so father and he couldn't watch the sky through their telescope. So he couldn't read under his favorite pine. But the thing he hated most was how the storm wouldn't let him sleep.

He knew it was silly. Father even said that the lighting couldn't hurt him, that it couldn't go through the roof. Still, as he sat awake at 3a.m. in his grandmother's house, his parents and grandmother in rooms down the hall and his brothers sound asleep next to him, he was afraid.

He looked over at his little brother. The one-year-old was sound asleep in his crib. Merlin thought that at least the baby would be crying at the rumbling that shook the house, but Mordred was still except for the rise and fall of his small chest.

_Great. I'm more frightened than a baby._ Merlin thought to himself.

He looked through the white, wooden bars of the babe's crib, over into his older brother's bed. The blonde was fast asleep from what Merlin could see.

_If Arthur can sleep through the storm, then I can too._ Merlin's breath hitched when another bound of thunder rumbled in the distance.

The young boy gripped the coverings as much as he could, so much his small knuckles turned white. He set his rigid neck backwards and allowed his head to slightly disappear into the feathered pillow.

_I can do this. I can do this. Just close your eyes and go to sleep. The storm can't hurt you just like Father said._ Merlin said as he closed his eyes.

_I can do this. I can do this._

The six-year-old kept his mantra going. Very soon he began to feel tired. The haze of sleep was coming, and the scary storm would soon be behind him. That is until a strike of lightning hit so close to the house, the light penetrated Merlin's closed eyes causing him to wake fully. The thunder followed as soon as Merlin shot upwards, causing the young one to screech in surprise.

"Ah!" he yelled has he jumped in his bed, got hold of the covers and pulled them over his head, tears pouring down his cheeks and tiny sobs escaping his lips.

_I can't do this! I'm not brave! I'm a coward! _Merlin sobbed the words out in his mind. He curled into a ball under the thick blanket and cried as the storm raged on.

He wasn't brave. He was a scared baby just like the kids at school had told him. He was weak. He wasn't Arthur. He wasn't big. He wasn't good at anything.

Tears stained the sheets as he buried his face in the sheets, hoping they would drown out the thunder. He knew he shouldn't cry. Big boys don't cry. That's what Arthur had said when Merlin was knocked down by that boy at school.

But how would Arthur know? He never gets pushed around.

Merlin continued with his silent sobbing, waiting for the blessed morning to come so the storm would stop. He just wanted the storm to stop. Suddenly, he felt the touch of a hand on his covered shoulder. He winced as more tears came.

"Merlin," a voice whispered.

_Arthur?_

Merlin slowly removed the covers from his face, and peeked his head out into the open air of the room. Sure enough there was the eight-year-old rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and staring right at the younger boy.

"Merlin are you okay?" Arthur said groggily. It was then Merlin realized a few tears were still rolling down his cheeks.

"Oh, um," Merlin muttered as he looked down and wiped the salty water from his face with the corner of the blanket. He refused to look up. Arthur told him big boys don't cry. He didn't want Arthur to be mad at him.

"Merlin," Arthur whispered softly. Merlin slowly raised his head to meet with the concerned look of his brother. His bottom lip quivered as he fought to keep the tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Merlin said looking back at the bed. A tear escaped his barricade and rolled down his cheek and stained the blue blanket.

"Merlin," Arthur cooed softly, stepping closer to head of the bed, but Merlin refused to look at him. Arthur wrapped an arm around him as he stood next to the bed; he looked at the top of the black hair as he asked, "What happened?"

Merlin shook his head in defiance. Arthur squinted. He hated how stubborn his brother could be at times, but he knew there was something going on.

"Move over," he commanded. Merlin did not argue nor did he look up when Arthur climbed into the twin sized bed with him, which left ample room for the two youngsters.

"Merlin what happened?" Arthur asked again. The deep concern in his voice caused Merlin to look into the boy's eyes, tears welded up in the younger's eyes.

"T-the s-storm," Merlin whispered looking at Arthur, who nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"You know the rain can't hurt you, Merlin," Arthur said softly.

"Yeah," Merlin responded looking down at the covers once more. Another bout of thunder rumbled in the distance and Merlin cringed, but his silent suffering came to an end as he was drawn into a crushing hug.

Merlin looked up and saw his big brother smiling down at him. Merlin gave a small smile in return, the tears dissipating from his eyes, leaving redness as the only marker of their existence. Merlin nuzzled his head into Arthur's chest.

Arthur stared at his little brother as he felt him begin to drift off to sleep. Once he knew he wouldn't wake, he rested his head back into the pillow behind him. He peered into the crib. Relieved and astonished that the babe had slept through both Merlin and the storm, Arthur turned back to Merlin.

"Merlin," Arthur whispered. "I will always be here. Don't worry. I promise. I will never let go of you."

The two went into the land of sleep as the storm raged outside of their grandmother's old townhouse.

Later that month a picture would be taken of that house. A picture that would travel through the family until it ended up in a cardboard box full of pictures. That box, hidden away in a hall closet would be reopened nearly twenty years later by the same boys who slept in that room.

"What's that?" Mordred asked as Merlin carried a box into the living room. Merlin only smiled and set the box on the coffee table. Mordred craned his neck from his position on the couch to see as Merlin opened the container. "Pictures?"

"Yep," Merlin said with a smile.

Mordred stood up and reached into the box, taking a photo of an old woman out.

"Grandmother?" Mordred stated showing the picture to Merlin. Merlin nodded with a smile.

"These are from her house. Figured I could put them in a photo book. No need to keep them around in some box, takes up too much space," Merlin said reaching into the box and pulling an image of his own out.

He looked at it and smiled. It was a colored photo of an old, red house. A large willow's leaves created an umbrella over the front lawn to which a plastic flamingo dug into.

Just then Arthur walked into the room.

"What are you two doing?" he asked with a suspicious look.

"Do you remember this old place," Merlin asked cheerfully, handing Arthur the photo.

"I don't," Mordred mumbled.

"You were only three when Grandmother died," Merlin shot back. Arthur rolled his eyes and took a look at the paper in his hands.

"Her old house," Arthur looked towards Merlin, who nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," Merlin said, the look of nostalgia washing over his face. "Remember the times we had in that place?"

"You mean like breaking her window with that ball?" Arthur chuckled.

"Or the time we put a hole in her roof with that real working rocket?" Merlin laughed as he rummaged through the box. Mordred sat on the couch looking at the picture of the grandmother he really only knew from a few photos.

Merlin began rattling on to Mordred about the many adventures Arthur and he had had in the old townhouse as he sat down with the box on his lap. Arthur smiled and leaned against the wall. He tilted his head to look at the picture once more.

He smiled when he saw the window of the room the three boys had slept in on the summer visits the family had taken to their mother's mother's house. The memory of that stormy night replayed in his mind, but it wasn't as if he had forgotten it. That memory had been in the back of his mind since the moment he made it. He would never forget that promise that he made his baby brother.

He looked towards the two laughing on the couch.

_I'll always be here for you. _Arthur thought to himself.

"Hey Mordred, mind grabbing that empty photo book from the closet? I would, but I have this heavy box on me," Merlin said feigning being crushed by the cardboard's weight. Mordred rolled his eyes, but made his leave for the closet anyway.

"So are you goanna tell him about the time we use to push him down the stairs in Mother's laundry basket?" Arthur whispered to Merlin when he thought Mordred was out of hearing distance.

"What!?" came from the closet's direction before Merlin could even shake his head.


	4. Her

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.**

Chapter 4: Her

"Hey Mordred, would you mind taking these empty boxes to the bin out back?" Elyan Knight asked one of the two employees he had in his small ice cream shop. He handed the younger man the stack of empty boxes, each one inside the one below so they were similar to a tower of paper cups.

"Sure, be happy to, Sir," Mordred said with a small smile.

"Mordred what did I say about this 'sir' business. I've known you since you were grade school. Call me Elyan," Elyan said with a smile and tilt of his head.

"Yes, Elyan," Mordred's smile grew as he backed out of the store room behind the counter and into the alley behind the store, the metal door closing behind him.

The alley was empty except for a small tattered tabby who cooed softy in the corner on a large tin can where a brown, planked fence about six feet high stopped the dead end twelve feet from where it started at the fronts of the ice cream shop and the brick apartment building who shared the passageway. The large green dumpster was pushed up in the corner opposite of the tabby, in the far back by the fence.

Mordred, still wearing the smile, walked over to the giant, green container, lifted the black lid up, and threw the stack of boxes in. He turned around and stopped.

He looked down the empty alley and saw the buildings on the opposite side of the road. A few pedestrians walked along both sidewalks, a few cars driving by now and then, their hoods shimmering from the noon sun.

Mordred leaned back against the worn out wood and let out a sigh.

The day was perfect, just perfect.

Nothing bad had happened. No job problems. No fights with brothers. No inner mental conflicts. All was good.

Mordred took in a breath and straightened up, but right before he took the first step towards the door, he saw something that stopped him in his tracks.

Her.

_Who is she? _He thought mouth slightly agape.

Walking there on the sidewalk, dark brown hair reaching her shoulders, a light blue flowing top contrasting the darkness of her hair and eyes. Her jean skirt, stopping just above the knee, swayed back and forth as she walked past the alley's opening without even sparing a passing glance. Her ruby lips edged into a smile, matching the waves in her hair.

_Who is she?_

It was with sudden realization that he became conscious that she was heading into the shop. This newfound information was the reason he nearly tripped over as he rushed through the doorway, causing Elyan and the other employee, Kay Winchester, to give him confused looks, but he didn't notice, for at that moment he could do was see through the doorway leading from the storeroom into the front counter: see her.

The ruby smile still graced her lips as she reached the counter.

Mordred just stood there, frozen in time, staring at the beautiful girl.

With a raised eyebrow and worried glance backwards Elyan walked out of the store room, along with Kay, to the cash register.

"What can I do for you missy?" Elyan asked, replacing his confused look with a warm, welcoming smile.

She opened her mouth to speak, her lips moved and Elyan nodded his head as he listened, but Mordred heard nothing. His attention was too focused on that glimmer in her eye. That little spark which seemed to lighten up the room. He just stared at that spark in her pupils and held his breath.

"I'd love to sponsor your football team! Mordred here will go over the forms, won't you?" Elyan said gesturing with his hand towards Mordred, the girl's eyes following and smile beaming.

It was at this point that Mordred was brought out of his stupor and come to the reality that he was standing just a foot away from Elyan behind the counter.

_Crap._ He thought, rubbing his neck with this hand.

"Ugh," was Mordred's brilliant response.

"You'll have to excuse Mordred here, he gets a little side tracked sometimes," Elyan gleefully said one arm leaning on the counter as he spoke to the dark haired girl, who giggled in response, causing Mordred's cheeks to flush bright red. Turning to Mordred, but still leaning on the counter, Elyan said, "Why don't you go help fill out these forms for this nice girl here."

Mordred followed a pointed finger to look at a pink and white paper on the glass counter top and turned even redder.

"Oh. Sure. Yeah, of course," Mordred said with a weak smile. The girl giggled in response as Mordred took Elyan's place.

"So, you, uh, play football?" Mordred asked as he began to fill out the pink sheet.

"No, I coach it," the girl said with a claret smile. "It's part of my college volunteer program, plus it's pretty fun, too."

"Oh," Mordred said widening his eyes as he finished the form, moving on to the white one, not looking up at her as he spoke. "I've never really cared for the sport. Not that there's anything wrong with it, I mean my older brother played it a lot in school, tried to get me to go out for the team. That didn't end well. Not that I'm not very athletic, I just prefer less running in my free time. Not that there is anything wrong with running…"

As Mordred rambled on, refusing to look up, and turning the color of a ripe strawberry, the girl laughed and found the cute boy around her age to be charmingly adorable unable to stop his mouth.

Mordred stopped writing and rambling, slowly looking up at the smiling girl in front of him. He quickly shot back down to look at the forms, and then looked over sideways.

"Si- Elyan, I just need you to sign at the bottom of both of these papers," Mordred called out.

Elyan walked over and scribbled his name on both sheets, Mordred standing behind him, intertwining his fingers and sparing a glance at the girl.

Once Elyan was done, he straightened up and nodded to her as he handed her the papers.

"There you go, Miss," he said and walked back into the storage room, leaving Mordred alone with her as Kay was working the register from two customers who walked in while Mordred had been distracted.

"Well," Mordred said with a small grin, finally looking at her face for longer than a second. "Bye then."

"Yes, bye," she said with a wave and began to walk away, papers in hand.

Mordred looked down at the counter and scrunched up his face in confusion.

There was a small slip of white paper. He reached down and picked it up.

When he opened it he realized it was a number, a phone number.

"Hey," he called out grasping tightly on the slip of paper.

She was just reaching for the door handle when she spun around, grinning widely.

"What's your name?" he asked. The world seemed to pause and focus on her face as he waited for the answer.

"Kara," she said gently, but confidently then turned and slipped out the door.

Elyan suddenly appeared next to Kay who had just finished handing a little girl a mint-chip, one scoop cone. As he wiped off the metal ring of one of the ice cream machines he was repairing with a rag, Elyan leaned closer to Kay, who took his boss's sudden presence first with surprise, then leaned in to hear what he had to say.

"Poor fool, lost in those lovely eyes," Elyan whispered with a sad shake of his head, but Mordred didn't hear.

He was too engrossed in smiling at the tiny piece of paper he held between his fingers as he reread the inked words underneath the phone number.

_You make a cute strawberry._


	5. Best Friends

Chapter 5: Best Friends

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin…yet.**

When you first meet your best friend, you realize you will be together for life. Not in a romantic way, more of an eternal bond which can go along the emotional rollercoaster of life and survive and grow with every passing year. You would know who he or she was from the beginning. You would just have this feeling that you could be yourself and say anything: they would always be there.

That was what it was like with Gwaine and Merlin.

It was when Merlin was in 1st grade. The little six year old was walking alone in the abandoned halls of the elementary school, on his way to his classroom, when he was suddenly delayed by a surprise entrance of the registered bully of Merlin's grade.

Young William Vill was a cruel boy. His freckled face and long blonde locks were a thing of nightmares for many of the students of the grade school who would dodge into the nearest room in order to escape the daily torment that came with crossing Will's path.

His name calling and shoving were equally dished out among many of the student population, and Merlin was no exception. And today was one of the days he unfortunately got caught.

Of course this would happen to him. Usually Arthur would walk with him in the halls, so the only time he had to deal with the bully was in the actual classroom where his older, 3rd grade brother couldn't protect him, but Will could only get away with so much with the teacher looming over his shoulder.

But Arthur wasn't here to walk Merlin through the halls. He was home, in bed, with the chicken poxes.

Which is why Merlin walked through the doors of the school when his mother had dropped him off, and as soon as the red vehicle pulled away he ran right back out and hid behind the bushes next to the entrance. Five minutes after the final bell rang, when he knew for sure the halls would be empty, he reentered swinging his head back and forth, searching for Will's unlikely attack.

Unfortunately for Merlin, William and his friends had just so happened to pick that day to hide out in the halls a little later than the last bell.

"Well, if it isn't Merlin Dragon. Haven't gotten you alone in the hallway ever, have I? Where's that idiot goon of a brother of yours?" Will sneered as his three goons snickered behind him.

Something clicked in Merlin, which made his shoulders shoot back and his head rear up.

"He's not a goon or an idiot, you dollophead!" the small dark haired boy shouted confidently.

Big mistake.

Will's grin turned into a hard line, his fists tightened, and his eyes narrowed. At the same time Merlin's mysterious confidence disappeared as soon as it had appeared, and he cowards backward as the larger boy advanced on him.

"What did you just call me?" Will growled out.

Just as Merlin swallowed the large lump forming in the back of his throat, the door of the boy's lavatory swung open to reveal a 4th grader with shoulder length brown hair wearing a surprised look on his face.

Gwaine had just finished washing his hands, when he opened the red door to see a group of 1st graders, four looking ready to pounce and a smaller one inching away on his heels. Gwaine wasn't sure what was going on, but he sure didn't like the look of the bigger boys' faces.

"What's going on here?" Gwaine asked in a calm voice, stepping out of the door way and approaching the five. The leader, by the way the other three stood behind him, took his eyes off of the small raven haired boy and gave the older boy a fake smile.

"Nothing. Just walking Merlin to class," Will beamed in his false friendship filled voice. He looked towards the other 1st grader with a pointed look, "Aren't we, Merlin."

Merlin's scared, wide eyes locked onto Gwaine's. He just stared for a second before he quickly nodded and looked back at Will, hands rising instinctively in front of him, then shooting down to play with the end of his shirt.

"I see," Gwaine said with a wary glare at Will. "Well maybe I should make sure all of you get back to class. Who's your teacher?"

"Oh. Uh that's not necessary," Will said, his smile faltering into a nervous realization look. "You can go. We can manage. Nothing old Will here can't handle."

"Well I really can't," Gwaine said with a smile and pointing to his chest. "I'm the hall monitor this month."

The five boys followed Gwaine's thumb and noticed he was pointing to the yellow sticker with the very words 'HALL MONITOR.' Will seemed to pale a little more.

"Umm," was all he could manage to spurt out.

"Where's your guys' room?" Gwaine asked directly towards Merlin.

Merlin looked over at the other boys, and the tension in his shoulders faded at their frightened looks.

With a small smile Merlin answered, "Mrs. Hightail."

He received a small glare from Will but he didn't notice as he was sharing a smile with Gwaine.

"Right. Well come on," Gwaine said and led them down the hall, Merlin safely walking next to him, away from the grumbling gang behind them.

"Merlin. William. Sam. James. Kirk. Where have you boys been," Mrs. Hightail exclaimed in her thick tongue when she opened the door. All five boys looked down as Gwaine spoke.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Hightail," Gwaine started causing the other boys' heads to shoot up. "They were helping me raise this sign for the school play that was knocked down."

"Oh, well that's fine, Gwaine," she said, her worried look turning into an understanding smile. "Now you better be off to your classroom. Boys come on in."

All five sent Gwaine a look of surprise as they crossed into the room. He turned around and was just about to leave when he stopped suddenly and whipped around, stunning the poor gray haired elementary school teacher in the process.

"Yes, Gwaine?" she asked, puzzled.

"It almost slipped my mind," Gwaine said shaking his head at his own forgetfulness. "Will and his friends there couldn't stop going on about how much they want to be apart of the school play after seeing that sign."

Sending them a look past the teacher with a smile at their surprised looks, he sweetened the lie.

"Drove Merlin and me crazy on the walk here, and since you're in charge of the production and all…well, I just thought I should tell you."

"Awww, how delightful," she exclaimed, clasping her hands together and turning to the four shocked boys. "We can start right after class!"

"Well, I best be off," Gwaine announced with a smirk, adding a, "See you around, Merlin."

With a wink towards Merlin he swiftly left, leaving Merlin to bask in victory of the new actors, who Mrs. Hightail was explaining the main theme of the production to. Their faces still molded in those looks of pure surprise.

Merlin happily walked over to his desk, set his bag down, and began to work on his worksheet. Free from worry that Will would attack at any moment.

He doubted Will would be bothering him for a while, what with the play coming up so soon and all. He'd be too busy, to bother with little, weak Merlin.

_Twenty years later…_

"What's he doing?" Gwaine asked from his spot on the couch.

Merlin peered over the top of the book he was reading and answered with a straight face.

"He's calling a girl," Merlin said nonchalantly, returning to his book.

There was a small pause.

"Why is he just staring at that piece of paper and holding the phone, then?" the 29 year old asked his 26 year old friend. Merlin looked up once more and returned to his reading.

"He's nervous," Merlin answered.

Another pause.

"Poor git," Gwaine breathed out, with a frown. The corner of his lips turned upwards fast though. "Reminds me of when you tried to call Betty Walsh in 7th grade."

Merlin's lips tightened into a small line, his eyes narrowed and he closed his book, setting it on the coffee table in front of him.

"We agreed to never speak of that, again," Merlin said with a hard look at the older man, who's immature smirk grew with the response.

"Fine, fine…" Gwaine said looking away, then whispering under his breath, "Merman."

"I misspoke!" Merlin shouted throwing his arms up.

"Whatever you say, 'H-hi t-this is Merman'," Gwaine said mockingly yet still throwing his hands up defensively.

Before Merlin could respond, both were cut off.

"Would you two shut up? I'm trying to make a phone call!" Mordred shouted as he continued to sit on the kitchen chair three feet away from the living room entrance, the phone unmoving in his hands as he stared at the slip of paper.

With a look between the two friends on the sofa, they turned to peer through the entranceway, where the kitchen met the living room, and smiled largely.

"Then why don't you pick up the phone and dial her?" Merlin asked with a raised eyebrow and grin, turning to face his younger brother.

"Yeah? You scared she'll hang up, Mordy?" Gwaine asked using the nickname he gave the youngest Dragon boy, wearing a look similar to Merlin's.

With a deep intake of breath, Mordred stood up and shouted, "You guys are the worst!"

He then stormed off, phone and paper in hand, into his room, slamming the door behind him.

The two looked at each other and broke into a fit of laughter.

"Think he'll call, now?" Gwaine asked among the fits of giggles shaking his entire frame.

"Are you kidding? He's probably proposing to her now, just to prove us wrong!" Merlin was able to chuckle out.

"Man what would he be without us?" Gwaine asked once the laughter turned into his signature grin.

"A homeless, dateless hermit," Merlin took all of one second to respond.

Just then another door opened, and footsteps led out of the hallway and into the entrance of the kitchen.

Arthur stood with a confused look on his face and head tilted to the right.

"Who's slamming doors around here?" he asked the two who both had their shoeless feet rested on the coffee table in front of them. Arthur's arms extended in front of him, only adding to the puzzled look on his face.

The friends' only response was to break into another laughing fit, holding their sides from overuse of the muscles.


End file.
